Considering a 60 Series

[CruiserLite]

Hello fellow Cruisers, I’m looking for a more ‘utilitarian’ cruiser as a third vehicle and the FJ60 looks appealing - something I can take on short camping and hunting trips. The simplicity and looks of the 60 is attractive. It would not be a DD (have the GX460 for DD) and I would have to park it in the street. Not planning to do over landing or any hardcore rock-crawling. Also considering a 22re Toyota truck or 80 series.

What do people use their FJ60 for? What is the market like for them? I’m seeing prices all over the place. Sounds like the 4 spd manual is the way to go? How is highway driving? Appreciate any tips and input.

 

[Gimme a 60]

please don't beat on a 60.

I don't beat on my 60, but I use it accordingly, I take it on easy to intermediate off-road trails - I never feel like I'm abusing it.

I am always the first person to bed, and the first person to pack up. I sleep in the back of it, and its the best. I never set up tents, or stuff like that - water and camp stove goes on the tailgate. Great camping rig.

I also have a 2000 Toyota 4 runner, and it no where near as fun and the cruiser - there is less camping space and less interior room. no where near as robust, but it's more reliable, and gives me piece of mind and I don't worry about it.

FJ60 is a 40 year old rig, you are the deciding factor to weather or not its going to be reliable, because odds are, everything on the FJ60 will be worn out.

highway driving isn't bad, I have a less powerful diesel motor, and a 5 speed manual transmission, and I'm able to do 110 down the highway, and it drives strait, and is fun... lots of smiles waves, and thumbs up.


so the short answer is: the FJ60 is slow inefficient and has harsh ride, if you are Looking for something to rip around town with, and have fun working on it and driving it - it's a great vehicle. But if you have some serious business to attend to, buy a 4runner or something. But I would not trade my FJ62 for nothing, ill be saving up to have it restored in the future... like seriously, who doesn't get tired of looking at this!

 

[CruiserLite]

please don't beat on a 60.

I don't beat on my 60, but I use it accordingly, I take it on easy to intermediate off-road trails - I never feel like I'm abusing it.

I am always the first person to bed, and the first person to pack up. I sleep in the back of it, and its the best. I never set up tents, or stuff like that - water and camp stove goes on the tailgate. Great camping rig.

I also have a 2000 Toyota 4 runner, and it no where near as fun and the cruiser - there is less camping space and less interior room. no where near as robust, but it's more reliable, and gives me piece of mind and I don't worry about it.

FJ60 is a 40 year old rig, you are the deciding factor to weather or not its going to be reliable, because odds are, everything on the FJ60 will be worn out.

highway driving isn't bad, I have a less powerful diesel motor, and a 5 speed manual transmission, and I'm able to do 110 down the highway, and it drives strait, and is fun... lots of smiles waves, and thumbs up.


so the short answer is: the FJ60 is slow inefficient and has harsh ride, if you are Looking for something to rip around town with, and have fun working on it and driving it - it's a great vehicle. But if you have some serious business to attend to, buy a 4runner or something. But I would not trade my FJ62 for nothing, ill be saving up to have it restored in the future... like seriously, who doesn't get tired of looking at this!

View attachment 3532179

Ahh that is a nice rig. I removed ‘beater’ from the thread title so people don’t get the wrong idea. I like to take care of my vehicles, lol. Anyways, thanks for the input.

 

[toy_tek]

For a fun knockabout vehicle I might lean toward a later 80s or early 90s 22re truck. Both that and a 60 will require maintenance obviously, but the mini truck is simpler, parts are generally cheaper, and in some cases easier to find. And around town, the lighter weight truck is arguably a bit more nimble.

But I agree with Gimme a 60, a 3.4 3rd gen 4runner is tough to beat from a "doesn't need much work / reliability" standpoint... you can abuse it and put it away wet, and it just won't care. I had one for 20 years, I'm sure when I'm on my deathbed it'll be the one I consider "the overall best vehicle I ever owned".

All that said, kinda like you, for me the allure of the 6x was finally too much that I bought one 6 years ago. And despite the work, expense, and less than modern drivability... it's my primary camping rig now. I don't have any regrets. But for someone considering, just understand if you want a classic rig... you gotta pay to play. You just need to decide if it's worth it for you. Happy hunting.

 

[CruiserLite]

@toy_tek I’ve been considering the 80 as well and it almost seems cheaper. I’m seeing rebuilt 60s on FB marketplace asking 40-60k and original ones in good condition for 20-30k. I’m seeing triple locked 80s in great shape asking for quite a bit less

 

[Ian Crawford]

You will love a 60!

I use my 1983 for everything you mentioned above as well as a daily driver and dad-mobile. I put about 8,500 miles a year on it.

I can cruise between 60-65MPH on the highway and that's spinning the engine around 2400 RPM in 4TH gear. Just plan your trips accordingly.

The market is all over the place, based on what I know and see in the market, you should expect to pay $15K+ (possibly more given your location) for an example that's ready to serve with minimal repairs. Start planning out your preventative maintenance one you get it!

 

[diesellibrarian]

Buy a 60 only if you enjoy owning the best-looking car ever made.

To my mind, the best setup is an FJ62 (because EFI) with an H55 5-speed swapped in.

I daily drive my 62, and while it is not cheap on fuel and my wife hates it, it makes me smile every time.

 

[open country]

Go for it. Like others have said, it's a 40-year old vehicle so will need regular attention, but I have about the same use case as you and love driving mine.

 

[dbbowen]

the 60 series is in the time period where toyotas are really fun to work on. the 1980s. Things are simple and they used a lot of parts in various vehicles interchangeably. If learning to work on your vehicle is something that interests you, the 60 is the move. Or like a firstgen 4runner if you dont have kids. I daily drive mine. Learned to build it, and ls swapped it. Ive since driven it across the country alone and stopped to wheel moab for a few days on the way. Youll learn a lot if you put the time into it.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

I would go for the 22RE truck/4Runner over the 60 because they have fuel injection and significantly better MPG. They also possess old school charm.
The only 60 series I'd consider anymore would be the setup mentioned above-3FE with manual transmission.
80 series-a big step up from 60 BUT-relatively quite common.

 

[Ian Crawford]

10.5 MPG no matter how I drive my 60....

That said, I can assure you, I do not drive it for fuel economy, I drive it for maximum smiles per gallon. Started this morning, no issues, 4*F and off to school to drop off my girls!

 

[Sethro60]

The 60 series is a nice comprimise between 40s and modern vehicle. Still has the old tractor like feeling but improved comfort and cargo capacity. that being said, if you are used to modern vehicles they will seem clunky and under powered. Don't worry about beating on it, I've been all over Colorado and Utah trails for decades, and have never been let down. If you just want to putter around in the woods, you can probably find a rusty one on the cheap.

 

[mattressking]

No one can tell you the right price to pay for one, no one can tell you if its a good idea or not. Go read some in-depth threads by folks here, see what they actually deal with day-to-day (aim to read many threads as many folks don't put big miles on them).

Then give it your best shot, buy one, then work hard at keeping it on the road using quality oem/oe parts. If it sits on the street, it will likely get scratched, hit, dented, who knows. So keep that in mind when hunting for your perfect truck, it may not be perfect long. The best truck is the one that is maintained according to factory and properly greased, not the least rusty or perfect paint.

Just note, it is a 35+ year old car. It will creak, groan, squeak, leak air, leak fluids, cause you to pull your hair out and unload quite a bit of money. If that is not your particular taste of women (or men) then enjoy your nice new trucks and have fun out on the trail....these aren't always going to work unless you are a seriously good mechanic who understands preventive/corrective maintenance as well as how to read/listen/watch for mechanical/electrical issues.

 

[Rgill]

Mine is 1985 60 with 160,000 miles. I keep it well tuned and It is my daily driver. If I ever swap in 5 speed I would take it on extended trips. As it sits 60 mph is kind of my top speed just because I don't like to rev the engine higher than that. They are very slow on acceleration, to the point of being tricky when merging onto a busy freeway. This is the vehicle I will probably never sell.

 

[Gretsch]

As someone who went through the same journey as you OP, I went the 60 series route. Some things I learned:

1. Do not compare a 60 series to a modern vehicle. You will likely be disappointed.
2. Test drive one. Test drive will likely make a lot of the decisions for you. They are very different. See 1.
3. Have tools and be ready to work on it. A lot. If you are like me, you will likely go broke having others work on it for you and it will sit in the driveway more than get on the road.
4. Most of the 60 trucks for sale are not 'get in and go' type vehicles after purchase. With time and effort you can get them close, but time and effort. They always need something. Always. There is a whole forum based on that idea.
5. I found mine with stock desmogged drivetrain and 33's to be fairly useless in the mountains or really any incline. Can be improved but I wouldn't underestimate how slow and heavy they feel. Again, see 1.
6. If I'm honest with myself, I found mine to be fairly miserable to drive on the hwy for any trip over a couple of hours. With effort that can be made better.
7. There is so much pride in putting the effort into saving one of these beasts. After years of various work on mine, there was really nothing more satisfying than proving myself right about what it could be, and proving everyone else who said I was nuts to own one wrong. Every successful mile becomes a hard-fought victory.
8. Be prepared to have every camper come talk to you about your 60 series if you go that route. Everyone loves these vehicles, but few are brave enough to own one. Having one makes you a magnet for conversation from folks young and old. I've had everyone from housewives to hard rock miners ask me about mine.

Ultimately, no one here can really tell you what you should do. But if asking this sort of question OP, you may want to look at some of the more modern Toyota variants mentioned. When you know, you know. I tried to convince myself a 60 series was fine for just the sort of use you describe OP. I found I spent more time worrying about it than enjoying it. They are very coveted these days and it freaked me out a bit to take something seemingly this collectable out into the wild. Seems like a good idea, but for me it just worried me all the time. Worried about every little new noise I heard and just never could convince myself of its reliability. The cool factor is off the charts, but will be soon forgotten once reality sets in. I'm in the minority on this forum here with that thinking, but it was my experience.

Maybe some motivational photos of what camp life with one of these could look like:

Then there is this:

GL with your decision.

 

[dbbowen]

I would go for the 22RE truck/4Runner over the 60 because they have fuel injection and significantly better MPG. They also possess old school charm.
The only 60 series I'd consider anymore would be the setup mentioned above-3FE with manual transmission.
80 series-a big step up from 60 BUT-relatively quite common.

Dude i totally agree. IMO the firstgen 4runner is the best toyota 4x4 they ever made. Its the perfect wheelbase and the perfect width for offroading. It looks cool, the top comes off, it hits that perfect spot of old stuff and new tech but not too new. The only downside is that its 2 doors and the gas tank hangs real low. If it wasnt for having kids, id have another 87 4runner instead of an 87 land cruiser

As someone who went through the same journey as you OP, I went the 60 series route. Some things I learned:

1. Do not compare a 60 series to a modern vehicle. You will likely be disappointed.
2. Test drive one. Test drive will likely make a lot of the decisions for you. They are very different. See 1.
3. Have tools and be ready to work on it. A lot. If you are like me, you will likely go broke having others work on it for you and it will sit in the driveway more than get on the road.
4. Most of the 60 trucks for sale are not 'get in and go' type vehicles after purchase. With time and effort you can get them close, but time and effort. They always need something. Always. There is a whole forum based on that idea.
5. I found mine with stock desmogged drivetrain and 33's to be fairly useless in the mountains or really any incline. Can be improved but I wouldn't underestimate how slow and heavy they feel. Again, see 1.
6. If I'm honest with myself, I found mine to be fairly miserable to drive on the hwy for any trip over a couple of hours. With effort that can be made better.
7. There is so much pride in putting the effort into saving one of these beasts. After years of various work on mine, there was really nothing more satisfying than proving myself right about what it could be, and proving everyone else who said I was nuts to own one wrong. Every successful mile becomes a hard-fought victory.
8. Be prepared to have every camper come talk to you about your 60 series if you go that route. Everyone loves these vehicles, but few are brave enough to own one. Having one makes you a magnet for conversation from folks young and old. I've had everyone from housewives to hard rock miners ask me about mine.

Ultimately, no one here can really tell you what you should do. But if asking this sort of question OP, you may want to look at some of the more modern Toyota variants mentioned. When you know, you know. I tried to convince myself a 60 series was fine for just the sort of use you describe OP. I found I spent more time worrying about it than enjoying it. They are very coveted these days and it freaked me out a bit to take something seemingly this collectable out into the wild. Seems like a good idea, but for me it just worried me all the time. Worried about every little new noise I heard and just never could convince myself of its reliability. The cool factor is off the charts, but will be soon forgotten once reality sets in. I'm in the minority on this forum here with that thinking, but it was my experience.

Maybe some motivational photos of what camp life with one of these could look like:

View attachment 3537597View attachment 3537600View attachment 3537631

Then there is this:

View attachment 3537633

GL with your decision.

Man. I freaking love your trailer

 

[Gimme a 60]

Personally, as long as you don’t need a pickup truck, I’d go with a 4Runner or cruiser.

You’ll get tried of driving around a little xtra cab.

 

[EdenSeen]

10.5 MPG no matter how I drive my 60....

That said, I can assure you, I do not drive it for fuel economy, I drive it for maximum smiles per gallon. Started this morning, no issues, 4*F and off to school to drop off my girls!

smiles per gallon. I love that!